How Much Difference Can Short Bursts Of Exercise Make, Long-Term?
10almonds is reader-supported. We may, at no cost to you, receive a portion of sales if you purchase a product through a link in this article.
“Exercise is good for the health” is not breaking news, and you don’t need a health science publication to tell you that.
But, most people do not do as much exercise as we’d like (even if we have the energy, often daily life gets in the way!), so, it’s reasonable to make sure that the exercise we do have time and energy to do, counts for as much good as possible!
So, here’s the science of doing just that:
What matters more, duration or intensity?
That’s the question that a team of researchers (Dr. Minxue Shen et al.) set out to answer, and found that indeed it’s not just total movement that matters—how intensely you move plays a major role in disease prevention.
Dr. Shen and her team looked at device-measured data (from wrist-worn fitness trackers) from 96,408 participants (of whom, 56.3% women, average age 62), over the course of 7 years.
What they found, in few words: participants who regularly engaged in short bursts of vigorous activity enjoyed significantly reduced risks of cardiovascular disease, atrial fibrillation, type 2 diabetes, inflammatory diseases, liver disease, respiratory disease, kidney disease, and dementia.
In particular, higher levels of vigorous activity were linked to:
- 63% lower risk of dementia
- 60% lower risk of type 2 diabetes
- 46% lower risk of death
As for the “which is best” question, intensity had a stronger protective effect than total activity for most diseases, especially inflammatory conditions and brain-related conditions.
There several main mechanisms of action that the researchers considered foremost:
- Short bursts of vigorous activity reduce inflammation, helping explain stronger effects on arthritis and psoriasis.
- Short bursts of intense activity stimulates protective brain chemicals and improve oxygen use, supporting lower dementia risk.
You may be wondering how little you can get away with. Per this study, a few minutes daily, adding up to 15–20 minutes per week, was already sufficient to deliver meaningful benefits.
See also: How Useful Is “Exercise Snacking”, Really?
The researchers also noted that short bursts like climbing stairs quickly, rushing for a bus, or brisk walking between tasks count too—it doesn’t have to be an intentional exercise session!
Writer’s anecdote: I remember one time my fitness tracker congratulated me on my good workout, and encouraged me to keep going, while I was changing my bedsheets!
You can read the paper in full, here: Volume vs intensity of physical activity and risk of cardiovascular and non-cardiovascular chronic diseases
If you’d like to get started, a good place to begin is: How To Do HIIT (Without Wrecking Your Body) ← important, because the “high-intensity” part can cause problems for some people, if not undertaken attentively!
Want to learn more?
You might like this book we reviewed a while back:
I Will Make You Passionate About Exercise – by Bevan Eyles
What this isn’t: a “just do it!” motivational pep-talk.
What this is: a compassionate and thoughtful approach to help non-exercisers become regular exercisers, by looking at the real life factors of what holds people back (learning from his own early failures as a coach, by paying attention now to things he inadvertently neglected back then), both in the material/practical and in the psychological/emotional.
Enjoy!
Don’t Forget…
Did you arrive here from our newsletter? Don’t forget to return to the email to continue learning!
Recommended
Learn to Age Gracefully
Join the 98k+ American women taking control of their health & aging with our 100% free (and fun!) daily emails:
-
What causes food cravings? And what can we do about them?
10almonds is reader-supported. We may, at no cost to you, receive a portion of sales if you purchase a product through a link in this article.
Many of us try to eat more fruits and vegetables and less ultra-processed food. But why is sticking to your goals so hard?
High-fat, sugar-rich and salty foods are simply so enjoyable to eat. And it’s not just you – we’ve evolved that way. These foods activate the brain’s reward system because in the past they were rare.
Now, they’re all around us. In wealthy modern societies we are bombarded by advertising which intentionally reminds us about the sight, smell and taste of calorie-dense foods. And in response to these powerful cues, our brains respond just as they’re designed to, triggering an intense urge to eat them.
Here’s how food cravings work and what you can do if you find yourself hunting for sweet or salty foods.
Fascinadora/Shutterstock What causes cravings?
A food craving is an intense desire or urge to eat something, often focused on a particular food.
We are programmed to learn how good a food tastes and smells and where we can find it again, especially if it’s high in fat, sugar or salt.
Something that reminds us of enjoying a certain food, such as an eye-catching ad or delicious smell, can cause us to crave it.
Our brains learn to crave foods based on what we’ve enjoyed before. fon thachakul/Shutterstock The cue triggers a physical response, increasing saliva production and gastric activity. These responses are relatively automatic and difficult to control.
What else influences our choices?
While the effect of cues on our physical response is relatively automatic, what we do next is influenced by complex factors.
Whether or not you eat the food might depend on things like cost, whether it’s easily available, and if eating it would align with your health goals.But it’s usually hard to keep healthy eating in mind. This is because we tend to prioritise a more immediate reward, like the pleasure of eating, over one that’s delayed or abstract – including health goals that will make us feel good in the long term.
Stress can also make us eat more. When hungry, we choose larger portions, underestimate calories and find eating more rewarding.
Looking for something salty or sweet
So what if a cue prompts us to look for a certain food, but it’s not available?
Previous research suggested you would then look for anything that makes you feel good. So if you saw someone eating a doughnut but there were none around, you might eat chips or even drink alcohol.
But our new research has confirmed something you probably knew: it’s more specific than that.
If an ad for chips makes you look for food, it’s likely a slice of cake won’t cut it – you’ll be looking for something salty. Cues in our environment don’t just make us crave food generally, they prompt us to look for certain food “categories”, such as salty, sweet or creamy.
Food cues and mindless eating
Your eating history and genetics can also make it harder to suppress food cravings. But don’t beat yourself up – relying on willpower alone is hard for almost everyone.
Food cues are so powerful they can prompt us to seek out a certain food, even if we’re not overcome by a particularly strong urge to eat it. The effect is more intense if the food is easily available.
This helps explain why we can eat an entire large bag of chips that’s in front of us, even though our pleasure decreases as we eat. Sometimes we use finishing the packet as the signal to stop eating rather than hunger or desire.
Is there anything I can do to resist cravings?
We largely don’t have control over cues in our environment and the cravings they trigger. But there are some ways you can try and control the situations you make food choices in.
- Acknowledge your craving and think about a healthier way to satisfy it. For example, if you’re craving chips, could you have lightly-salted nuts instead? If you want something sweet, you could try fruit.
- Avoid shopping when you’re hungry, and make a list beforehand. Making the most of supermarket “click and collect” or delivery options can also help avoid ads and impulse buys in the aisle.
- At home, have fruit and vegetables easily available – and easy to see. Also have other nutrient dense, fibre-rich and unprocessed foods on hand such as nuts or plain yoghurt. If you can, remove high-fat, sugar-rich and salty foods from your environment.
- Make sure your goals for eating are SMART. This means they are specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and time-bound.
- Be kind to yourself. Don’t beat yourself up if you eat something that doesn’t meet your health goals. Just keep on trying.
Gabrielle Weidemann, Associate Professor in Psychological Science, Western Sydney University and Justin Mahlberg, Research Fellow, Pyschology, Monash University
This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
Share This Post
-
Breakfasting For Health?
10almonds is reader-supported. We may, at no cost to you, receive a portion of sales if you purchase a product through a link in this article.
Breakfast Time!
In yesterday’s newsletter, we asked you for your health-related opinions on the timings of meals.
But what does the science say?
Quick recap on intermittent fasting first:
Today’s article will rely somewhat on at least a basic knowledge of intermittent fasting, what it is, and how and why it works.
Armed with that knowledge, we can look at when it is good to break the fast (i.e. breakfast) and when it is good to begin the fast (i.e. eat the last meal of the day).
So, if you’d like a quick refresher on intermittent fasting, here it is:
Intermittent Fasting: We Sort The Science From The Hype
And now, onwards!
One should eat breakfast first thing: True or False?
True! Give or take one’s definition of “first thing”. We did a main feature about this previously, and you can read a lot about the science of it, and see links to studies:
The Circadian Rhythm: Far More Than Most People Know
In case you don’t have time to read that now, we’ll summarize the most relevant-to-today’s-article conclusion:
The optimal time to breakfast is around 10am (this is based on getting sunlight around 8:30am, so adjust if this is different for you)
It doesn’t matter when we eat; calories are calories & nutrients are nutrients: True or False?
Broadly False, for practical purposes. Because, indeed calories are calories and nutrients are nutrients at any hour, but the body will do different things with them depending on where we are in the circadian cycle.
For example, this study in the Journal of Nutrition found…
❝Our results suggest that in relatively healthy adults, eating less frequently, no snacking, consuming breakfast, and eating the largest meal in the morning may be effective methods for preventing long-term weight gain.
Eating breakfast and lunch 5-6 h apart and making the overnight fast last 18-19 h may be a useful practical strategy.❞
Read in full: Meal Frequency and Timing Are Associated with Changes in Body Mass Index
We should avoid eating too late at night: True or False?
False per se, True in the context of the above. Allow us to clarify:
There is nothing inherently bad about eating late at night; there is no “bonus calorie happy hour” before bed.
However…
If we are eating late at night, that makes it difficult to breakfast in the morning (as is ideal) and still maintain a >16hr fasting window as is optimal, per:
❝the effects of the main forms of fasting, activating the metabolic switch from glucose to fat and ketones (G-to-K), starting 12-16 h after cessation or strong reduction of food intake❞
~ Dr. Françoise Wilhelmi de Toledo et al.
So in other words: since the benefits of intermittent fasting start at 12 hours into the fast, you’re not going to get them if you’re breakfasting at 10am and also eating in the evening.
Summary:
- It is best to eat breakfast around 10am, generally (ideally after some sunlight and exercise)
- While there’s nothing wrong with eating in the evening per se, doing so means that a 10am breakfast will eliminate any fasting benefits you might otherwise get
- If a “one meal a day, and that meal is breakfast” lifestyle doesn’t suit you, then one possible good compromise is to have a large breakfast, and then a smaller meal in the late afternoon / early evening.
One last tip: the above is good, science-based information. Use it (or don’t), as you see fit. We’re not the boss of you:
- Maybe you care most about getting the best circadian rhythm benefits, in which case, prioritizing breakfast being a) in the morning and b) the largest meal of the day, is key
- Maybe you care most about getting the best intermittent fasting benefits, in which case, for many people’s lifestyle, a fine option is skipping eating in the morning, and having one meal in the late afternoon / early evening.
Take care!
Share This Post
-
The GLP-1 Lifestyle – by Dr. Joshua Hackett
10almonds is reader-supported. We may, at no cost to you, receive a portion of sales if you purchase a product through a link in this article.
While GLP-1 receptor agonists (i.e. semaglutide drugs such as Ozempic and Wegovy) have enjoyed the spotlight as a miracle cure (with some drawbacks), this book argues very reasonably that we should see them as a tool that we can use (or not) as part of a holistic approach to manage our metabolism.
Unusually, Dr. Hackett doesn’t argue strongly for one way or another, when it comes to using GLP-1 RAs. Rather, he makes the case that they indeed have pros and cons, and we should not only be aware of those pros and cons before making a decision either way, but also, we must understand the process of what goes on.
In contrast to the “inject it and forget it” marketing, he explains how if we actually understand what’s happening in our metabolism, we can improve things for ourselves and, at the very least, avoid sabotaging ourselves. Again, this knowledge is applicable with or without the drugs.
Much of the book is spent covering the physiological underpinnings and how things work for people of various different sizes and metabolic rates, as well as everything you’d expect about dosing, side effects, and whatnot—as well as things you might not have considered closely related, such gut health, and the question of “is there any way to retain the slimmer figure after stopping?”.
The style is methodical and clear, and not at all sensationalized. It’s very much a “read it cover to cover” book rather than a “dip in” book, so be ready for that, though.
Bottom line: if you and/or a loved one are on GLP1-RAs—or on the fence about them—this is a very even-minded and helpfully explanatory book.
Click here to check out The GLP-1 Lifestyle, and transform your metabolism!
Share This Post
Related Posts
-
Why exposing young children to AI content could have irreversible consequences
10almonds is reader-supported. We may, at no cost to you, receive a portion of sales if you purchase a product through a link in this article.
Artificial intelligence (AI) already affects many areas of daily life, including the lives of young children.
Many families give screens to children younger than two, and AI-generated content is increasing on the popular YouTube Kids channel – and it plays automatically.
Most parents are not able to monitor everything their child sees online. Some AI-generated content can be both frightening and attractive to young children, including violence and sexual content using engaging animals and characters.
Early childhood education centres are also using AI to support learning, particularly for children with developmental differences. This includes those who do not learn to speak easily or who have other communication problems related to autism or intellectual disability.
In the US, many parents report their children are using AI for school work. The encouragement for early childhood centres, schools and parents to use AI with children is based on short-term studies, but the long-term impacts are unknown.
The only way to know how AI may affect young children would be through well-designed longitudinal studies. But by the time robust evidence emerged, a whole generation would have grown up exposed – and if there are indeed harmful effects, these may be irreversible.
There are already some alarm bells ringing over AI’s potential impact.
New Zealand research shows high use of screens during early childhood is associated with poor language, social and relational functioning.
Many children love to use screens, and AI is likely to be similarly rewarding because AI models are endlessly patient and instantly responsive to the topics of your choosing and do not seem to demand anything.
Getty Images Human development during early childhood
Like all mammals, human infants are bound by biological processes and have evolved to develop in social groups in close physical connection with others. Everything we know about child development highlights the importance of face-to-face connection.
Children learn about themselves and the world through all their senses. They learn to communicate through “serve-and-return” interactions – responsive, back-and-forth exchanges between them and their caregiver. This includes physical touch, emotion and play. Collectively, these interactions help shape brain architecture.
Based on their experiences during the first few years of life, children form models, or templates, of how intimate relationships work. These relational templates endure throughout their lives and influence close relationships in adulthood.
Children also learn about emotional regulation, seeking and receiving comfort and conflict resolution during the preschool years. All the while, their brains are forming, with foundational structures that require good experiences to function well throughout life.
We do not yet know what the impact will be on children’s capacity for human relationships if they are exposed to AI while their physiological, neurological and emotional regulatory systems are developing. It is unclear how longer-term AI exposure may affect children’s understanding of other people and their development of empathy.
Normal social interactions in childhood include conflict, negotiation, resolution and play with other children. These interactions involve non-verbal communication, risk estimation, relational repair and decision making.
It’s unclear how instantly responsive and engaging AI will affect these aspects of childhood. It is possible that children experiencing many AI-mediated social interactions may find it more difficult to navigate real-world relationships, especially when there is conflict.
It is also possible that children will develop a preference for AI engagement over real-life engagement with family or friends.
Young children find it harder to distinguish fantasy from reality. This quality is delightful for adults and children alike, involving imaginary play, silliness and amusement. Yet AI-generated fantasy may be persuasive to an overwhelming degree, potentially leading to children being confused about reality and the consciousness of others.
Potential for both harm and help
If infants and children don’t have sufficient real-world experiences, their emerging cognitive capacities for detecting reality and interpreting sensory inputs may be affected.
There is much excitement about the potential for AI-assisted tools to aid children with disabilities in their development of social communication. This seems likely to have benefits such as earlier detection of neuro-developmental differences. There may also be risks if these interventions replace real-life interactions with other children and adults.
What will be the daily experiences for children with extra learning needs? Parents may be happy with AI-enhanced learning, but less happy if this is provided in lieu of a real teacher aide.
The introduction of AI seems inevitable and it is already affecting our children. We know that connection, touch, reciprocal and language-rich environments, and unstructured play are important during early childhood development.
To adopt AI into our children’s spaces without knowing the consequences is an experiment with outcomes that may not be reversible. Given the uncertainty, families should at least have the freedom to choose an AI-free environment for their children.
Sarah Whitcombe-Dobbs, Senior Lecturer in Child and Family Psychology, University of Canterbury
This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
Don’t Forget…
Did you arrive here from our newsletter? Don’t forget to return to the email to continue learning!
Learn to Age Gracefully
Join the 98k+ American women taking control of their health & aging with our 100% free (and fun!) daily emails:
-
Wise Old Fool
10almonds is reader-supported. We may, at no cost to you, receive a portion of sales if you purchase a product through a link in this article.
How old is this dish? Well, let’s put it this way, it used to be called “𓅮𓏏𓈖” and remnants of it have been found at neolithic burial sites in Egypt. Nowadays it’s called “فول مدمس”, which gets rendered a lot of different ways in the Latin alphabet, but “fūl mudammas” is one option. For short, it’s just called “fūl”, which is pronounced like the English word “fool”, and it’s about the beans.
From chana masala with poori to frijoles refritos to beans on toast, lots of cultures have some version of this breakfast food, and all can be great (yes, even the beans on toast). But today we’re about this particular kind of morning protein, fiber, fats, and healthful spices.
You will need
- 2x 14 oz cans fava beans (other kinds of beans work as substitute; kidney beans are common substitution, but this writer prefers black beans personally if she doesn’t have fava in), drained
- 4 garlic cloves, crushed
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon sweet cinnamon (or ½ sweet cinnamon stick)
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- 1 tsp chili flakes
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp black pepper
- Juice of ½ lemon
- For the relish: 1 medium tomato, finely chopped; 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil; 2 tbsp parsley, finely chopped
- To serve: 4 pitta breads, 2 eggs (omit if vegan), and a selection of pickled vegetables, drained
Method
(we suggest you read everything at least once before doing anything)
1) Add the olive oil to a saucepan over a medium heat; add the garlic, cumin seeds, and cinnamon. Keep these moving for a minute or two before moving to the next step.
2) Add the fava beans, as well as the other seasonings (chili flakes, paprika, black pepper), and mix thoroughly
3) Add 1 cup boiling water, and keep everything on a simmer for about 20 minutes, stirring often. Add the lemon juice while it’s simmering; when the beans start to break down and the mixture starts to thicken, it’s ready.
4) Mix the relish ingredients (finely chopped tomato, olive oil, parsley) thoroughly in a small bowl
5) Toast the pitta breads, and if using, soft-boil the eggs.
6) Serve! We suggest: fūl in a bowl, with one half of a soft-boiled egg per bowl, topped with the relish, and served with the pitta bread and pickled vegetables on the side.
Enjoy!
Want to learn more?
For those interested in some of the science of what we have going on today:
- Level-Up Your Fiber Intake! (Without Difficulty Or Discomfort)
- Making Friends With Your Gut (You Can Thank Us Later)
- Less Obvious Probiotic Benefits ← the pickled vegetables contain the probiotics here, while the beans are a great source of prebiotic fiber; this is why they work so well together
- Our Top 5 Spices: How Much Is Enough For Benefits?
- A Tale Of Two Cinnamons
- Eggs: All Things In Moderation?
Take care!
Don’t Forget…
Did you arrive here from our newsletter? Don’t forget to return to the email to continue learning!
Learn to Age Gracefully
Join the 98k+ American women taking control of their health & aging with our 100% free (and fun!) daily emails:
-
How can I improve my running? 5 top tips for every runner, from a biomechanics expert
10almonds is reader-supported. We may, at no cost to you, receive a portion of sales if you purchase a product through a link in this article.
Humans and our ancestors have been running for millions of years. Back then, it helped us capture – or avoid becoming – prey. Now, we do it to keep fit, boost mental health, unwind in nature, or play our favourite sport.
But while many of us were taught how to ride a bike, throw and catch a ball, or kick a footy, it seems very few people are ever taught how to run. You might’ve wondered: am I running wrong?
Well, the truth is there’s no one right way to run. Your ideal technique depends on factors such as leg and foot length, muscle mass, and even how springy your tendons are.
It also depends on whether you’re out for your Sunday run or running full pelt in a sprint.
That said, thinking a little more about how to run can make it feel easier and faster, and reduce injury risk.
Here are five basics to keep in mind.
Thinking a little more about how to run can make it feel easier and faster. Rocksweeper/Shutterstock 1. Feet: how you land matters
Some of us land on our heels, others on the balls of our feet. If you grew up running barefoot, you’ll more often land towards the forefoot.
Debate rages on which is best. The truth is heel-first striking stresses the knees a bit more while forefoot landing places more impact on the calves and Achilles tendon.
So, if you’re injury prone in one of those areas, it might be worth adjusting your style.
But for healthy runners, there’s no strong evidence one technique is better for injury.
If you’re considering a change, do it slowly over several months, ideally with expert help.
As you run faster, you’ll bounce more in each step. You’ll naturally land more on your forefoot, especially when sprinting.
Majdanski/Shutterstock 2. Legs: softer landings and smoother strides
Three things are worth focusing on:
- minimise the twisting of the legs under your body as you land, to reduce strain on knees and ankles
- keep your pelvis level during landings (dropping or rotating it increases injury risk)
- don’t bounce too high; a smooth, low trajectory uses less energy and keeps impacts manageable.
These principles are perfectly demonstrated by Ethiopian former long-distance runner Haile Gebrselassie:
Just keep relaxed, and allow the knees and ankles to flex normally.
If you find your landing style causes stress or pain, consider running with slightly shorter strides.
Then there’s the “leg recovery phase” – when your leg swings forward after push-off. During jogging, we pull the leg forward briefly with our hip muscles, but otherwise it’s a pretty passive task.
In sprinting, however, the faster leg recovery powered by your hip can contribute about 25% of your forward propulsion in each step. So make sure you flex at the hip while you push back into the ground, so your legs act like scissors as they swing.
Also, the faster you run, the more your knee should flex, and the more the foot should rise under you. This helps the leg swing forwards faster.
In other words: pick your feet up more as you pick up the pace.
3. Arms: built-in shock absorbers
During jogging, your arms help with balance, absorbing bumps or stumbles, especially on uneven ground, as seen here: https://www.youtube.com/embed/ifctluuNkXE?wmode=transparent&start=0
They swing mostly passively and act as shock absorbers during jogging; they can’t do their job when they’re stiff. Relaxation is key.
To keep energy cost low, try bending your elbows to keep their mass closer to your shoulder and keep your shoulders relaxed.
When sprinting, your arms become more active. They help stabilise your whole body in the short time your feet are on the ground.
Top sprint coaches often insist the “drive arm” (the arm swinging backwards) contributes to forward propulsion, thanks to physics.
But the limited studies to date suggest the effect on propulsion is moderate; future studies might shed more light.
That said, the fastest sprinters, like Usain Bolt, are renowned for their aggressive backwards arm drive: https://www.youtube.com/embed/D09QkQ8Cyow?wmode=transparent&start=0
See how his drive arm whips backwards with rapid extension of the shoulder and elbow? Meanwhile, the recovery arm – swinging forwards – is more flexed and moves much slower.
4. Torso: lean just a little
When we run, the torso naturally rotates left and right. That’s fine, although when we run faster there should be less rotation. A more aggressive arm swing helps balance out these rotations.
Our pelvis then rotates in the opposite direction to the torso. The twisting helps us balance, but also contributes a little to forward force.
But as we run faster, these rotations should become smaller as we use our arms to balance better. As your speed increases, swing your arms a bit harder and your body, legs and other arm will follow.
Finally, it’s generally accepted that we keep our torso upright when we run relaxed, with only a very slight forward lean.
But if we want to speed up, leaning forward is a great way to accelerate quickly without doing too much tiring muscle work.
And for those with knee troubles, leaning forward a bit might help reduce impact on the knees.
If you’re not sure how you run, try asking a friend to take a quick video of you running. Demkat/Shutterstock 5. Head: a balancing act
You might be tempted to tilt your head down when you run, to watch your feet or in an effort to accelerate forwards.
But during upright (non-sprinting) running, try to keep it in normal position. Rest your head quietly on the top of your shoulders, just as as evolution intended.
During sprinting, try looking about 20 metres in front of you (a slight chin tuck is fine). When jogging, try looking ahead toward the horizon.
Not sure what your own technique looks like? Try asking a friend to take a quick video of you running. Compare it to an experienced runner running at the same speed.
You might be surprised what you notice.
Anthony Blazevich, Professor of Biomechanics, Edith Cowan University
This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
Don’t Forget…
Did you arrive here from our newsletter? Don’t forget to return to the email to continue learning!
Learn to Age Gracefully
Join the 98k+ American women taking control of their health & aging with our 100% free (and fun!) daily emails:
